Ring binders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. Conventional loose-leaf binders include binder mechanisms having ring segments that abut to form closed loops. The ring segments are separated to facilitate inserting or removing the article to and from the binder. Levers are often employed to help separate the ring segments between the opened and closed positions. Locking mechanisms are also employed to limit inadvertent opening of the rings.